How To Shop

How do I presume to tell you how to buy your groceries? Years of experience coupled with the knowledge that "many people know better than I"---but I will present my ideas and welcome suggestions to improve upon them.

First and foremost you need a generic plan of meals for one month that enables you to specifically plan for one week. Ours is not a vegetarian family so I generally signify the planned items by the proteins--beef, chicken, seafood and pork.

There are many variations in each category and some families do not eat pork or chicken. Any one category could probably be used twice a week. The variations can create confusion, frustration and stress as you have to decide what to have for dinner.

"Honey, what's for dinner tonight?

"Liver."

"Oh! I'm sorry. I meant to tell you I have to work late tonight and I won't be there for dinner, Sorry, Hon."

"Mom! What's for dinner tonight?"

"Liver."

"Oh. Would you mind if I eat at Jimmy's tonight? His Mom's making chicken 'catch- a -tory'!"

These reactions make you think twice about what to plan and the least favorites are usually deleted -- even, unfortunately, the much needed-copper-supplying - liver.

To introduce something new into the menu I usually respond to the "What's for dinner question" with "EXPERIMENTAL, tonight." To do this you should make certain that the first time they will be wowed by it. Make pizza from scratch (it's not that hard) or borrow a recipe the family loved at a relative's or friends, and then when you some time later say "EXPERIMENTAL", they'll give it a chance.

But that is an occasional meal. Back to the bones of planning.

Meal Planning

Go through your own recipes. Does the family love your curried chicken? Make it 2 or 3 times a month. Is roast beef too pricey? Have it only for special occasions but don't forget that a roast can provide two meals and lunches.

What are the possibilities?

• Beef includes stew, steak, roast, ribs, corn beef, mince and liver
• Chicken and turkey include roasts, parts and mince (and cornish game hens)
• Deli provides sliced meats, wieners, and more exotic fare.
• A vegetarian night can be a salad, casserole or pasta or sometimes eggs.
• Seafood includes your favorite fish or shellfish.
• Pork includes ham, ribs, chops and bacon.
• Soup night can include borscht, gazpacho, minestrone or vegetable soup

From your month plan and this list you can make your week's plan.

You can have:

1x a week:

• chicken baked or roasted or----- :
• beef as steak or ribs or stew or meatloaf or spaghetti or ---- :
• fish any kind baked or filets or------- :
• pasta : take out or deli or--------- :
• soup night with cheese or sandwich alternatives:
• pork ribs or chops or roast or----- :
• eggs with bacon or quiche or poached or souffle------ :
• shellfish shrimp salad or scallops or prawns or ----.

Once you decide on a plan for the week, you can make a shopping list for the ingredients needed. At the end of this article is a generic shopping list you can use and adapt to your own family's needs.

To shop strategically it makes sense to load your cart with canned, packaged, jarred and paper products first. They are not easily crushed. However the layout of most supermarkets doesn't encourage this strategy. And it is more healthy to stick to the perimeter of the store and load up on veggies and fruit instead of the packaged, frozen and canned foods. So I start with fresh produce then meats, then zigzag through the canned, packaged, jarred frozen, paper products and cleaning supplies and end up with the bread and dairy. I skip at least five aisles by using the overhead guides that indicate the aisles' contents.

It is difficult to avoid impulse buying in a supermarket but having a list helps a lot.

Do not shop on an empty stomach. Shopping for groceries is tiring - especially for a child sitting in a cart. Take energy bars or nuts and eat as you go or just before you start.

Reading labels is essential - absolutely vital. But except for checking on specific allergy ingredients (such as nuts) do your reading at home. It slows the shopping and one week of using an unadvisable product (containing ingredients such as HFCS or MSG) won't cause too much strife; just don't buy it next week!

That's the beauty of buying fresh. They can't put MSG into broccoli or carrots! But remember to wash the pesticides and dirt off with a veggie wash and buy organic when possible!